Carton filling mechanism



June 8, 1954 C. J. MALHIOT CARTON FILLING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 7, 1950 in-' "11 W -"11;.

CLARENCE J. MALHIOT IN V EN TOR.

ATT'YS Patented June 8, 1954 ,i r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE $680,545 CART-N FILLING MECHANISM Clarence J. Malhiot, Chicago, Ill., assignor to F. B. Redington 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 7, 1950, Serial No. 189,008

7 Claims. (01. 226-2) The present invention relates to carton filling the same, The present invention i particularly mechanism and more particularly to improveuseful in the packaging of articles in tablet form he llke, and for bllng llg them to a piedetercess of the thickness thereof Where attempts mined position relative to a series of receptacles are made to package tablets of this nature in a or caltons in which the articles are to be packpackage whose internal thickness 1s less than aged and or then discharging them into the rethe diameter length or width of the article,

spective cartons in such a manner that the carthere is a tendency for articles Which are fed by as an improvement over the apparatus shown and passage of subsequently fed articles into the carde d in y D Patent ,3 15, dated ton. The present invention is designed to remedy January 5, 1943, for Feed Mechanism. the above mentioned limitation that is attendant r f y, h par us ill st t d n th above upon feeding of articles by gravity into cartons mentioned applicat on Co p a Carton nand toward this end it contemplates the proveyor by means of WhlCh open ended cartons are vision of a grippin means whereby each article passed in rapid succession through a carton filling a it em r fro th onenlng 1n th perforate zone and wherein the articles are adapted to be filler strips under the influence of the ejecting segregate the articles from a batch a d bring wholly within a vertical projection o a plurality of perforated strips or bars which are t carton, th di t bo the in each opening. An ejector mechanism operats .bstantiall e ual t or onl sli htl reater determined position Within the filling zone a se- U y q 0 y g y a minor dimension of the articles undergoln pack- :arr:anest etisttraits 2i In an e a respective Carton passing through the fining poised above the upper entrance to the chute in Zone and Into which carton the am 6168 are close proximity thereto before being released into posited Aitei the articles have been elected fig- 3 ?i f i g of the twin the respective openin s in which they are movlslon o a 66 ng meg a resnective cartons. the fingers are Withdrawn ,iect of the invention, another object thereof is from the open ngs and the unloaded elector bars to provlde an 1mm oved eJectm means whereby pass alon the lower straightaway portion or run the artlcles are Omgresslvely elected from the of the conve or and are returned to the batch for Openmgs the filler bars y a series of electing subsequent filling operations. The process is a fingers Whlch are caused to Into the Open Continuous one. ings to discharge the articles therefrom and The present invention is designed as an which at the same time have imparted thereto movement over the apparatus br fl descnbed components of motion which cause them to follow above in that means are provided for accurately the travel of we fiver bars and mamtam egls aligning the articles with the open ends of the try with the Openings therein during the passage cartons assing throu h the filling rone prior to 0f the fine! bill's through the filling Z0119- their release so that the articles will fall directly th r j t f the v nt n is t pr vide into the cartons and not obstruct the entrance to a feeding mechanism of this type wherein the p to more clearly gripping fingers are individually flexibly mounted on a common actuating bar so that the flexing pressure applied to each finger will be eifectively isolated and not transferred to the other gripping fingers carried by the same actuating bar.

The provision of a feeding mechanism including orienting means for the individual articles as briefly outlined above which is extremely simple in its construction, one which is comprised of a minimum number of moving parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order, one which is rugged and durable and therefore dependable in its operation, and one which may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost are further desiderata which are to be borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

'In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a carton filling mechanism constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In this view certain parts have been broken away reveal the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view somewhat schematic in its representation showing a certain driving mechanism for the operative machine parts employed in connection with the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In all of the above described views similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts throughout.

The carton filling mechanism comprising the present invention involves in its general organization an article conveyor designated in its entirety at [0, and a carton conveyor designated in its entirety at 12. The article conveyor Ill may be generally of the type shown and described in the above mentioned patent. The article conveyor I!) has associated therewith a suitable feed sectional view taken v backing plate hopper and other operative instrumentalities (not shown herein) by means of which a series of articles a are deposited and distributed on and over the surface of the upper run of the conveyor, all in a manner clearly set forth in the above mentioned paten The article conveyor l4 having a pair of side members It and IT. The

plurality of transverse strips which are operatively positioned between the side members IG and H arid are connected to a pair of conveyor chains 20 and 21. The chains 2D and 2! pass over respective pairs of sprockets, only one sprocket 22 of each pair being shown in the drawings. The sprockets 22 are suitably mounted on a shaft 24 which extends transversely across the conveyor and which serves to synchronize the movements of the two chains 20 and 2! so that the latter travel in unison.

'Theshaft'z l shown in Fig. 1 constitutes the driving shaft for the conveyor l0 and is operatively connected represented by a power shaft 28 which has been labelled Power in Figs. 2 and 4. The power shaft 26 is suitably journalled in the machine framework l4 and carries a gear 28, which is connected by a train of reduction gearing 30 to a driving gear 32 mounted on the conveyor driving shaft 24.

i0 includes a framework to a suitable source of power The transverse strips l8 assume positions of parallelism along the upper run or straightaway portion of the conveyor and occupy positions slightly spaced from each other, thus forming in the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor a table portion onto which the articles are hopper, not shown. Each of the strips i8 is provided with a series of open'ngs 34 which are preferably in the form of small holes of a diameter slightly in excess of the diameter of the articles a. The articles are distributed on and about the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor, by mechanism which forms no part of the present invention but which has been illustrated in the above mentioned patent, in such a manner that during passage of each strip i8 along the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor each of the openings or holes 34 receives therein one of the articles a, which in the present instance may be in the form of a cough drop, or similar tablet. The articles a, which find respective positions within the various openings 34 provided in the transverse strips 18, are carried forward along the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor and as the strips 18 successively move downwardly at the forward end of the conveyor, shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2, the articles are likewise carried downwardly and pass through a filling zone Z wherein the articles are positively forced from the holes or openings 34 and are deposited by gravity into a series of chutes 36, which communicate with the open upper ends of a series of cartons 0 carried on the conveyor 12 and into'which cartons the articles are packaged.

The cartons c are carried on a conveyor belt 38, which constitutes a part of the carton conveyor l2, and the articles move in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. A series of spacer elements or retaining members 40 also constitute a moving part of the conveyor I2 and serve to maintain the cartons c properly oriented with respect to the various chutes 36 during passage of the cartons through the filling zone Z.

42 extends across the filling zone Z and cooperates with the members 30 in maintaining the cartons c in filling position.

The chutes 36 into which the articles are discharged are provided in a composite chute assembly which includes a rear wall 44, which also constitutes a stripper plate for the articles, as will be described presently, and a front wall 46, the two walls being maintained spaced apart by generally triangular-shaped pieces 48 which extend between the two plates and which, ,in combination with the inner surfaces of the two plates, provide a series of hopper-like or -shaped passages representing the ohutes 35. The lower ends of the chutes 36 are open to permit discharge of the articles from the chutes into the various open ended cartons c which pass beneath the chutes and which are maintained in registry with the lower open ends of the chutes at the time that the articles are discharged from the chutes.

The ejecting means for positively forcing the articles or out of the openings 34 and depositing them in the chutes 36 comprise an elongated transversely extending bar 59 arranged beneath the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor 10in the vicinity of the filling zone and extending a distance substantially equal to the width of the conveyor and consequently to the length of the strips H3. The bar 50 is provided with a series of forwardly extending ejecting fingers 52, the number of fingers being the same as the number of openings 34 provided in the various strips l8. The fingers 52 in pairs by the nerally U-shaped members 54 to the bar 58 by anpoints along the bar The bar 50 is pair of movable upstanding medially disposed suspension arm 62 formed thereon and roller 64.

The rear ends of the rocker arms 50 are each attached as at Ill to an eccentric sleeve ?2 mount- The two eccentric discs 74 are similarly eccentrically disposed on the shaft 85 so that as they one of the transverse strips 18 arrives in eject- Z. Toward this ends of the various fingers 52 will enter their respective openings 3 in the strips i8 and travel with the strips downwardly while at the same time projecting through the openings 3d so as to eject the articles a into the chutes 36. During the inward or retracting stroke of the bar generally downwardly in parallel comb-like fashion from the rock shaft 92 and the oscillatory movements of from the openings 34 in by the fingers 52, the extreme lower tion of the articles a the strips [8 surface of the article a and, in conjunction with the fingers, hold the article poised, so to speak, directly above the entrance to the chutes 36.

The individual fingers ried on the bar 92 by spring assemblies 94' the upper bell crank I 4 and connected by to an arm H0 secured to an end of that upon rotation of the power shaft I02 the, eccentric movements through the linkage system including the bell crank lever [06, link I08 the desired result.

The extent of the oscillatory to the rock shaft 92 and the timing of the moveparallel to the minor dimensions of the chutes and of the cartons c.

The moving parts of in means estabthe open'end of the container beneath "said zone and for thereafter releasing the articles to cause the same to fall by gravity into said container through the upper open end thereof.

2. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper end of a container, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the container beneath said zone, continuously moving means-for successively bringing articles to said filling zone, means at said zone for yieldingly engaging simultaneously the opposite sides of said articles brought to said zone while said articles are continuously moving and for moving the articles bodily to a position of vertical alignment with the open end of the container beneath said zone and for thereafter releasing the articles to cause the same to fall by gravity into said container through the upper open end thereof.

3. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper ends of a series of containers, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the containers beneath said zone, continuously moving means for successively bringing articles to said filling zone at predetermined positions, means for engaging one side of successive articles in said predetermined positions while said articles are moving and forcing the same bodily into vertical alignment with the open upper end of the cartons disposed beneath said zone, and means for engaging simultaneously the opposite side of said articles while said articles are moving and during bodly movement thereof to clamp the articles to said first engaging means and for thereafter disengaging said latter side of the articles to release the articles for movement by gravity into said containers through the open ends thereof.

4. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper ends of a series of containers, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the containers beneath said zone, a continuously moving coveyor for successively bringing articles to said filling zone and positioning them in predetermined locations, a plurality of ejecting fingers movable repeatedly from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein they engage the articles on said conveyor in said predetermined positions at the filling zone while said articles are moving and move the same from the conveyor bodily into register with the open end of the cartons below said filling zone, a series of gripping fingers likewise movable from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein they engage the articles while said articles are moving and maintain the same in engagement with said ejecting fingers during bodily movement of the articles, and means for moving said ejecting fingers and gripping fingers in timed relationship.

5. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper ends of a series of containers, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the containers beneath said zone, a conveyor for successively bringing articles to said filling zone and positioning them in predetermined locations, a plurality of ejecting fingers movable repeatedly from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein they engage the articles on said conveyor in said predetermined positions at the filling zone and move the same from the conveyor bodily into register with the open end of the cartons below said filling zone, a rock shaft mounted for oscillation about an axis, a series of gripping fingers mounted on the rock shaft and movable in unison therewith from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein the free ends thereof engage the articles and maintain the same in engagement with said eiecting fingers during movement of said latter fingers from their retracted to their advanced positions, means for moving said ejecting fingers and means for oscillating said rock shaft in timed relationship to the movement of said ejecting fingers.

6. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper ends of a series of containers, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the containers beneath said zone, a conveyor for successively bringing articles to said filling zone and positioning them in predetermined locations, a plurality of ejecting fingers movable repeatedly from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein they engage the ar ticles on said conveyor in said predetermined positions at the filling zone and move the same from the conveyor bodily into register with the open end of the cartons below said filling zone, a rock shaft mounted for oscillation about an axis above the level of said articles at said predetermined positions, a series of gripping fingers mounted on said rock shaft and depending therefrom, said rock shaft being capable of limited oscillating movement wherein the free ends of the fingers carried thereby are movable from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein the free ends thereof engage the articles at said predetermined positions and maintain the same in engagement with said ejecting fingers during movement of the latter fingers from their retracted positions to their advanced positions, means for moving said ejecting fingers, and means for oscillating said rockshaft in timed relationship to the movement of said ejecting fingers.

'7. In an apparatus for depositing articles in the open upper ends of a series of containers, means establishing a filling zone, means for supporting the containers beneath said zone, a conveyor for successively bringing articles to said predetermined locations, a plurality of ejecting fingers movable repeatedly from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein they engage the articles on said conveyor in said predetermined positions at the filling zone and move the same from the conveyor bodily into reg ster with the open end of the cartons below said filling zone, a rock shaft mounted for oscillation about an axis above the level of said articles at said predetermined positions, a series of gripping fingers mounted on said rock shaft and depending therefrom, said rock shaft being capable of limited oscillating movement wherein the free ends of the fingers carried thereby are movable from retracted positions to advanced positions wherein the free ends thereof engage the articles at said predetermined positions and maintain the same in engagement with said ejecting fingers during movement of the latter fingers from their retracted positions to their advanced positions, cam means for moving said ejecting means, cam means for oscillating said rock shaft, and means correlating the movements of said cam means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

